PetSmart donates dog food to shelter
Through a PetSmart Charities partnership, more than four tons of dog food have been donated to the Little Rock Animal Village.
The partnership has provided food, care and new homes to dogs and cats in Little Rock for a decade.
Eleven pallets of food were dropped off last week and will provide for animals at the Animal Village until October.
"This allows us to do more for the animals in our care. We are proud of our relationship with such a great organization," Animal Services Director Tracy Roark said.
PetSmart Charities also runs the Rescue Waggin' program that takes dogs in the South nearing their euthanization date to the North where supply is less and the animals will be adopted.
"Last year, more than 1,200 doses of K-9 Advantage were provided to our dogs, and now over $10,000 of quality dog food has been donated," Roark said.
The Animal Village was created eight years ago. It has a fully staffed veterinary clinic, an adoption center, five large play yards for dogs and a learning center where volunteers can teach animal welfare and public safety initiatives.
Youth jobs program honored nationally
The U.S. Conference of Mayors recognized Little Rock for its Summer Youth Employment Program.
The city was one of four towns to receive an Outstanding Achievement City Livability Award in the cities with populations larger than 100,000 people category.
"I am extremely proud of our Department of Community Programs for being the driving force behind this successful initiative. Each summer, hundreds of teens gain valuable career guidance along with a job, and our local economy gets a boost with these new members of the workforce, as well," Mayor Mark Stodola said. "It's a win for our community, for business and for our youth."
The summer program began in 1996. It gives jobs to youth ages 16 to 21. The city pays their wages for the summer. Private sector businesses and government agencies benefit by getting the extra help at no cost to them. The program also includes summer workshops that focus on career readiness and college preparation.
"Our goal has always been to give our city's youth plenty of opportunities to thrive. These summer internships and crash courses help them develop the skills they need right now to lay the foundation for successful futures," said Dana Dossett, director of Community Programs.
About 700 youth interns are participating this summer at 120 businesses or organizations.
Male gorilla joins all-female exhibit
The Little Rock Zoo has announced the entrance of a male western lowland gorilla into its gorilla exhibit.
Kivu has been living at the Little Rock Zoo since June and has become the leader of the zoo's formerly all-female gorilla family.
"We've been very careful to slowly introduce Kivu to the females. Until recently, they've been separated by fencing so they could see and smell each other in the off-exhibit area," Zoo Director Mike Blakely said. "You can never predict how introductions will go -- if animals will get along -- but we've been very pleased.
Kivu is still hesitant in his new home and is only spending short periods of time outdoors, Curator Syd Tanner said. But each day, he stays out a little longer.
"There's quite a bit more space than he's used to and he's not yet comfortable with having people above him in the observation areas," Tanner said.
Kivu is a 24-year-old silverback. He came from the Santa Barbara Zoo. His brother, Goma, was moved to a zoo in Colorado to be mated with female gorillas there.
"[Their] genes are needed to maintain the genetic diversity of gorillas in human care as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan. The plan makes breeding recommendations and helps participating zoos find mates for threatened species," a press release said.
The Western lowland gorilla is an endangered species found predominantly in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Habitat destruction and hunger, which drives people to hunt gorillas for bushmeat, are the two main threats for the species.
The hope is for Kivu to father baby gorillas at the Little Rock Zoo.
LR firemen donate gear to volunteers
In keeping with its tradition, the Little Rock Fire Department has donated more gear to volunteer departments.
Pallets of gear were laid out this week, including fans, fire extinguishers, hoses, nozzles and other fire-fighting equipment. Volunteer departments including Arch Street, Alexander, Northeast Saline, Quail Creek, Sweet Home and West Pulaski showed up to pick through the donations.
"The equipment donation is part of an ongoing effort to assist other area emergency agencies, helping keep all communities safe," a city press release said.
In April, the Little Rock Fire Department gave away two engines that it retired from its fleet.
Metro on 07/10/2016